Apparatus for casting metal.



'PATENTED MAY 5, 1903.

R. w. DAVIES. APPARATUS FOR CASTING METAL.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1901.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 25, 1901.

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rA'rlEs Patented May 5, 1903.

ATENT FFICE;

CAN CASTING MACHINE COMPANY,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

APPARATUS FOR cAs'ri c METAL.

mememea forming part of Letters Patent No, 726,878, dated May 5, 1903.Application filed February 25,1961. eel-m1 in. 48.680. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RODERICK WASHING- TON DAVIES, engineer, of Canton,State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inApparatus for Casting Metal and otherSubstances Suitable for Casting,Especially Casting Iron Into Pigs, of which the following is aspecification, illustrated by the accompanying drawings, which form partof this specification.

This present invention is an improvement upon certain types ofautomaticcasting apparatus,one' form of whichis exemplified in my UnitedStates Patent, granted February 21, 1899, No. 620,020. In that patentthere is shown and'describeda series of molds which are mounted uponacontinnouslytraveling support or carrier, so as to bring themsuccessivelyinto position to be filled with the molten metal, thereafterdumped or turned off to discharge the metal after it has solidified, andthereafter preferably the molds are doped or coated with lime or otherprotective'material before being filled with molten metal to prevent themetal froni sticking to the mold. The molds in this class of'apparatushave gen{ erally been mounted p'ivotally upon the traveling carrier, sothat they can be overturned at the place where it isdesired to dischargethe pigs from the mold. Special devices and expedients-sutzh, forexample, as springshave been utilizedfor restoring and maintaining themolds in their normal and proper position for filling. One object of thepresent invention is to improve the apparatus in this respect byutilizing hoods or roof-like shields that prevent the molten metal frompouring out through the spaces between neighboring molds in such a wayas to cause these hoods to maintain and securethe molds in their properposition during the casting operation.

Difficulty hasalso arisenin suitably cooling the metal before it isdumped into the cars without resorting to the necessity of plunging themetal into cold water, as this is very objectionable to certain gradesof metal. One object of the present invention is to obviate thenecessity of plunging the metal into water by the use of cooling-bins orstoragereceptacles in combination with a traveling carrier for the moldsof such size that the metal will be solidified and partially cooledbefore it is dumped into the bins and will be further cooled in thebins'by the air draft which the hot metal produces in the bin.

In the accom panying drawings one embodimentof the invention is shown,omitting, however, such parts in detail'as will be obviousito thoseskilled in the art.

Figure 1 is a general plan vieWOf bhqparts of the completerapparatusthat are directly connected with the present improvementsf Fig. 2 is apartial vertical cross-sectionzonthe plane 22 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 isanelevation'of parts of the traveling carrier of the molds and hoodsslightly distorted, so as also to appear as viewed radially or endwiseof the molds, and also showing the fixed incline by which the hoods areraised at certain times. Fig. at is a detail 'view of one of the moldswith its star-wheel for overturningit. Fig.

5 is a detail view of one of .the hoods. Fig,

6 is across-section ofone of the molds."

, The'presentinvention is not concerned in the particular form of thecarrier employed, though the horizontally-.ro tating-wheel form,

'which has been-successfully employed in s'ev eral instances, has beenchosen.forillustra- .tion. Sucha.carrier may consist of a cen- 8o tralsupport 0, centered by an axial pin d and turningon ballrbearings;radial girders e, provided with a rail f, secured beneath the girdersand traveling upon the fixed rollers or wheels f; a rack'g, whichextends all the way around the wheel beneath [the girders and isactuated by the pinion g froina suitable drivingengine g" or othersource of power and which should cause the wheel to ,make a completerevolution in one or two 0 minutes, and molds h and mold-actuatingdevices mounted upon the carrier-wheel.

The moltenmetalfshould be delivered to the molds in a continuous streamfrom a chute or other suitable supplying device, as'atfj," and 5roof-shaped hoods Z should be provided to bridge over the intervalsbetween adjacent molds, so that the stream of metal in falling upon oneof these hoods as the molds and hoods travel beneath it will bedelivered prop- Ioo erlyinto the neighboring molds. The molds and theirattachments and operation will now be described. The shape of the mold,as shown, is not novel. It is the same as that shown in the previouspatent mentioned above. Preferably each mold will have fourmold-recesses, so that four pigs can be successively cast in the moldbefore twice using the same mold-recess. Each mold hhas a trunnion oraxle h at each end, one of which axles,-preferably the outer one, isprovided with a star-wheel m, having arms corresponding to the severalmold-recesses. In the example illustrated there are four arms to thestar-wheel m, because there are four recesses in each mold. When themetal is being cast, only one of the mold-recesses is filled with metal.In order to insure it being placed with its rim horizontal, the hoodslare made to rest upon the edges of the two adjacent molds, as seen atthe extremeleft hand of Fig. 3. After the uppermost recess of the moldhas been filled with the metal and after the metal has cooledsufficiently the mold is dumped or discharged by first raising the hoodsZ at each side of it and then causing a fixed tripping post or arm tostrike the star-wheel m, upsetting the mold and dropping the pig-ironout of it. These fixed trippingarms (of which there may be preferablythree) or obstructions are marked, respectively, p p p in Figs. 1, 2,and 3. The means of supporting them and the position in which theyshould be placed will be described farther along. The star-wheels mshould be so proportioned that they will strike the successive trippingposts or arms 13 and be turned about ninety degrees by each. The weightof the metal in the mold when it strikes the first tripper willgenerally cause the mold to turn more than ninety degrees as the metalfalls from it. The object of the second tripping arm or post p is merelyto even the molds up to an approximately horizontal position as theymove past it after discharging the metal. The third tripping-arm 1) maybe employed to turn over the molds ninety degrees, after the uppermostmold-recess has been sprinkled or coated with the lime or dope, and inorder that the surplus liquid may flow out of the mold-recess and giveit a chance to dry, and in order that the next mold-recess which hasbeen coated with the lime or dope some time before (either one, two, orthree turns of the 'wheel earlier) shall be brought into position to befilled with the melted metal.

I will now explain-the operation of the hoods I, by which the molds arerigidly held against turning while they are being filled and while theyare traveling to the point where they are overturned and discharged, butwhich are raised so as to allow the overturning and discharge of themolds when they reach the storage-bin or discharge-point. The hoods Zare provided with long guide-pins or guiderods 1', which extend downthrough guides, that are preferably in the form of pipes or sleeves 0",on the carrier and project beneath the carrier at their lower ends inpositions to be engaged and raised by the stationary inclines s and 8,both of which are shown in Fig. 2, but only one of which is shown inFig. 3. As the two are alike in principle and as they operate in thesame manner upon the two pins 0' of each hood, I will describe themounting and. operation of the incline s. This incline .9 mayadvantageously consist of an angle-iron or small I-beam mounted on afixed support-as, for example, a girder t and extend for a considerabledistance in the path of travel of the lower ends of the outer rods '1'.Shortly in advance of the position where it is desired to dump the pigsthe incline .9 should commence and rise gradually, as shown in Fig. 3,so that the lower ends of the rods 1* will engage it and be forcedupward, raising the hoods Z, as shown in that figure. The incline 8 maythen extend continuously to a point beyond the place where the molds aresprinkled or wet with the dope or protective coating and may thenterminate, as seen in Fig. 3, allowing the hoods Z to drop as soon asthe successive molds have passed clear of the last tripping-arm ortripping-post p". In falling the hoods Zstrike and rest upon the edgesof the adjacent molds and bring them into substantially exact horizontalposition. Care should be taken that the molds are left in a nearlyhorizontal position by the action of the last arm or post 19', so thatthe hoods Zwill only have to complete the alinement and serve to holdthe molds firmly in position during their filling and their travel fromthe point where they are filled to the point where they are dumped anddischarged. The fixed support or girder 25 may also serve to carry thetripping arms or posts 19 p p. The first of these should be placed atthe point where the pigs are to be dumped, and the second one should beplaced a foot or so farther along. The third post 19 should be placedjust beyond the sprinkling or doping apparatus. As the storage-bin isplaced directly beneath the point Where the molds are discharged, it isconvenient to support the girder if either upon the storage-bin or uponthe structure that carries the bin. This bin is preferably constructedwith a grate-like bottom, which may be formed by a series of inclinedrails a, separated by intervals too small to allow the pigs or ingots tofall between and extending from beneath the point where the molds areoverturned to discharge downward and sidewise toward a convenient pointof final delivery-as, for example, above a freight-car w andrailroad-track w. The side ofthe bin toward the car and the track mayconsist of a hinged chute r, provided with chains and connterweights 11,forming adjustable means for preventing the pigs from sliding off thebottom and for retaining them in the receptacle. The ends of the bin maybe of strong sheet-iron plates as. One, two, or more bins may beprovided, a second bin as indicated in dotted lines at u in Fig. 1. Thecapacity of two bins may convenientlybe one car-load.

The second bin must of course be provided with tripping posts or armssimilar to p and p, and when the second bin is being filled thetripping-posts pp of the first bin must 'be removed, so as not to act.

The operation of the apparatus in its preferred form is as follows:Starting with the sprinkler for the lime solution or dope,whichsprinkler is indicated in Fig. 1 at ,2, as a mold passes under thesprinkler its recess that is then turned uppermost is coated with theprotective coating. We will assume that the entire apparatus is beingrotated sufficiently long to have successively coated all fourmoldrecesses of each mold. Then as the mold which we are consideringpasses from under the sprinkler z it is actuated by the tripperpost pand turns ninety degrees, so as to discharge the surplus dope or limeand bring a dry mold-recess uppermost. Immediately after this the hoodsZ of each side of the mold fall and hold itin position as it passesunder the chute j, which delivers the molten metal into the molds whichhave been filled, the metal falling into it, some directly and some offthe neighboring hoods Z. Then as the hood passes forward the metalwithin it gradually cools and solidifies while the wheel or carrier ismaking more than three-quarters of a complete revolution to carry themold to its point of discharge. Just before the mold reaches the pointof discharge the rods 7' of the hoods Z at each side of it'are raised bythe inclines s s, so as to enable the mold to be turned. Then thestar-wheel mof the mold engages the tripping-post p and overturns themold, droppingthe pig or ingot out of the mold onto the rails a of thestorage-bin. Then the mold is turned by the second arm 1) to ahorizontal position, with the moldrecess that has just been dischargedin the lowermost position, for example. Finally the mold is againbrought under the sprinkler and its uppermost recess coated with theprotective lime or dope. Under the precise condition stated it wouldtake four complete revolutions of the wheel before the same mold recessor cavity was again used, and this afiords abundant opportunity for thecooling and drying of the mold. For example, if mold-recess No. 2 inFig. 6 has just been coated with the protective coating mold recess No.1 would be filled with the molten metal immediately thereafter, and whenthe mold is discharged mold-recess No. 3 would be turned uppermost toreceive the protective coating. In the second revolution of thecarrier-wheel mold No. 2 would be filled with metal, and so onsuccessively, and not until the fifth revolution of the wheel would moldNo. 1 be again filled with metal.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the parts marked land 7" servetwo distinct functions: First, they serve as dividers for thedown-pouring stream of molten metal; second, in cooperation with theinclines s and 3' they form movable means for holding the .the car.

said molds from overturning during a portion of the travel of the saidmolds, while the inclines s and sconstitute devices for raising ormoving such means to release the molds therefrom prior to the dischargeof the mold. It will also be seen that the bin or receptacle servesthree purposes: First, it constitutes a part of the apparatus in thepath along which the metal travels from the time it is poured in themolten state to the time it is finally discharged from the apparatusinto It thus constitutes, as it were, a de-' vice for prolonging orcontinuing the duration of the traveling and cooling to which the metalis exposed before it slides'from the inclined'bottom of the bin.Secondly, by reason of its open-work bottom and the heat of the metal itforms a specific cooling device by which the metal is graduallyair-cooled by the rising currents of air. Thirdly, it serves theordinary and obvious purpose of a storage-bin within which aconsiderable quantity of the cast metal or other material may beaccumulated and stored.

It is clear that some of the novel features of the invention may be usedWithout others; but the bestresults would be obtained where all theseveral features described are used together.

Having now particularly describedthe nature of my said invention and inwhat manner the same is to be performed, what I claim as the novel andcharacteristic features, and desire to secure by United States LettersPatent, are the following:

1. In apparatus for casting metal and the like, in which the molds arerevolubly mounted on a traveling carrier, the improvement which consistsin a hood or divider for the molten metal extending between adjacentmolds and normally covering the space between the same, said hood beingmounted to travel with the adjacent mold and adapted to hold the samefrom overturning, and in means which cooperate with the hood or dividerfor raising it to release the mold to allow it to discharge the castmaterial.

2. In apparatus for casting metal, in which the molds are revolublymounted on a traveling carrier, the improvement which consists in a hoodor divider for the molten metal extending between adjacent molds andnormally covering the space between the same, said hood being supportedupon a vertical guide-' rod and mounted to travel with the adjacentmolds and adaptedto hold the same from overturning, means comprising aninclined plane fixed in the path of and adapted to cooperate with thesupport of the hood or divider for raising it to release the mold toallow it to discharge the casting, and tripping-arms connected with theaxis of the mold and corresponding in number with the cavities thereofand adapted to cooperate with a tripping-post after the hood has beenraised.

3. In apparatus for casting metal, in which the molds are revolublymounted on a travcling carrier, the improvement which consists in a hoodor divider for the molten metal extending between, adjacent molds andnormally covering the space between the same, said hood being supportedupon a vertical guide-rod and mounted to travel with the adjacent moldsand adapted to hold the same from overturning, means comprising aninclined plane fixed in the path of and adapted to cooperate with thesupport of the hood or divider for raising it to release the mold toallow it to discharge the casting, and tripping-arms connected with theaxis of the mold and corresponding in number with the cavities thereofand adapted to cooperate with a plurality of tripping-posts, whereby anydesired mold-cavity may be placed uppermost.

4:. The combination of molds adapted to receive molten metal and meansfor delivering hot castings therefrom, a cooling-bin having side walls,a slatted bottom and an airspace beneath, whereby upwardly-fiowingcurrents of air are induced by the heat of the castings to cool thesame.

5. The combination of molds adapted to receive molten metal and meansfor delivering hot castings therefrom, comprising a bin having a slattedbottom, an air-space beneath, side walls, and a discharge-gate, wherebyupwardly-flowing currents of air are induced by the heat of the castingsto cool the same.

6. The combination with molds adapted to receive molten metal and meansfor delivering hot castings therefrom, of a cooling-bin comprising aninclined slatted bottom, an airspace beneath, side walls, and adischargegate at its lowest point, whereby upwardlyfiowing currents ofair are induced by the heat of the castings to cool the same.

7. The combination of molds adapted to receive molten metal and meansfor delivering hot castings therefrom, of a cooling-bin having aninclined slatted bottom, an airspace beneath, side walls, and adischargegate at its lowest point, whereby upwardlyflowing' currents ofair are induced by the heat of the castings to cool the same.

Signed this 13th day of February, 1901, at Canton, Ohio.

RODERICK WASHINGTON DAVIES.

WVitnesses:

JAMES A. RICE, PHIL CAVANAUGH.

